'Not nationalism, but...': Rahul on Jaishankar's China remark

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said the party will keep asking questions about Gautam Adani till the truth comes out, as he flayed Bharatiya Janata Party leaders for coming out in support of the industrialist in Parliament.

He also said the party should formulate a new plan to carry forward the "tapasya " undertaken through the Bharat Jodo Yatra and that he along with the entire country will participate in it, indicating another such initiative.

Launching a strong attack on the government on the Adani issue, he charged that Adani was working against the country by cornering the entire wealth.

"When we asked in Parliament what is the prime minister's relation with Adani our entire speech is expunged. We will ask in Parliament thousands of times till the truth of Adani ji is out, we will not stop," he said at the 85th plenary session of the Congress in Nava Raipur amid applause.

"I want to tell Adani that his company is 'hurting' the country and is 'snatching the entire infrastructure of country," the former Congress president charged.

"The battle for the country's freedom was against one company as it had taken away all wealth and ports etc.," he said.

"History is being repeated. This is work against the country and if that happens the entire Congress party will stand against it," he said.

He also said that the party will continue to ask questions on the relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Adani.

Hindenburg Research had made a litany of allegations, including fraudulent transactions and share-price manipulation, against the Adani Group.

The Adani Group has dismissed the charges as lies, saying it complies with all laws and disclosure requirements.

Gandhi also questioned External Affairs S Jaishankar's recent remarks on the size of the Chinese economy, asking the minister if India's economy was big when the country was fighting with the Britishers.

"EAM said in an interview that India has a smaller economy than China, so how can we fight them? Was our economy very big when we were fighting the Britishers?" Gandhi said.

Terming it "cowardice", Gandhi said, "It is not nationalism but cowardice."

"Savarkar's ideology is to bow before the one who is stronger than you. The minister has said on China that we cannot fight them as their economy is bigger than ours. Is this nationalism? It's cowardice," the Wayanad MP said.